A relatively weak unrestricted free-agent class means general managers may have to get more creative this summer in how they spend money. One option is signing a restricted free agent and the new changes in compensation, obtained by Sporting News, may make that option more attractive.

“Find a team that is near the cap and you can really (mess) with them,” one NHL source said.

The numbers and compensation are tied to the average league salary, which is $2.3 million.

Zach Parise is worth a 1st 2nd and 3rd rounder for a gauranteed player capable of almost 100 pnts..

Yeah, that would definitely address the defensive needs we have.

I’m not saying go for it, because I don’t want the Wings to sign Parise instead of a big defenseman or two, but quite a few of the Wings’ defensive problems last year were the result of poor backchecking.

They’re joined by a growing tally of perennial money losers, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Nashville Predators, the Florida Panthers and the team that is on the verge of moving to Winnipeg, the Atlanta Thrashers.

If Weber has signed a new deal with NSH by the July 1 deadline, tender him an offer sheet.

Parise’s also been the most-underpaid player in the league for years and just watched a guy who plays the same position worse bank $10mm/y from the Devils for the next decade.

I assume anyone signing him to an offer-sheet is going to have to do so in this bracket $6,268,175—$7,835,219: Two first-round picks, a second and third. Maybe even a few dollars into the next bracket, if he really wants to make up for lost money. I, for one, would be a lot more comfortable about ROI paying Parise $8mm than I would paying Vinnie or Kovalchuk $10mm or Staal $8.5mm. Other than an in-shape Ovechkin, there might not be another winger who brings more to his team more than Parise.

The only players of Parise’s caliber in the $4,701,131—$6,268,175: First, second and third-round pick range either have bogus cap hits (of the type that will be attacked in the next CBA) or signed their contracts before their breakout years (Perry). 16 of the 24 forwards in the salary range North of that one are inarguably worse than Parise.

Posted by
steviesteve
on 05/25/11 at 07:42 PM ET

He’s like Darren Helm with finish.

You’re right, and I wasn’t suggesting that he’s not good defensively, I’m just saying that as of now we have four defensemen (I’m going to go ahead and assume Lidstrom sticks around) and massively overpaying for a forward (which is what we’d have to do to get Parise) just means that we’ll have to go bargain basement to fill out the defense AND the rest of the forwards, and you’re absolutely not going to be improving team defense by having to split put Lidstrom, Stu and Kronner on separate pairings with the other young/cheap defensemen, giving us three OK pairings instead of even one great one.

Sticking with the Parise topic, but killing the talk about him going to Detroit (since it won’t happen). I’d recommend pretty much any team throwing an offer sheet at him.

Jersey will have just about $10M in cap space to play with, but they also have six roster spots to fill (they have only five D-men under contract and the guys they do have are not exactly awe-inspiring).

They also need a goaltender to back up Brodeur and likely really need to start looking hard for his replacement, meaning they may have to pay more.

Forcing the Devils to match an offer sheet for Parise (even a fairly reasonable one) likely means that you’re also preventing them from signing enough talent to seriously compete.

Worst case scenario, the Devils don’t match and your team is stuck with Zach Parise.

I’d agree with that for any team that has the cap space. The chances of a team drafting the second-best winger in the league with one of their next two 1st round picks is roughly nil. Hell, the chances of drafting a player like him with the next four 1st round picks is still nil, though that’s a lot of future complimentary depth to give up for one guy.

Posted by
steviesteve
on 05/25/11 at 08:01 PM ET

The Devils will file for arbitration on Parise to protect against an offer sheet.

Secondly, I love Parise but to call him a guaranteed 100 point player is a stretch considering he has never done. I don’t buy the myth the the Devils have held back the production of top forwards. Go find me a forward who left the Devils after establishing himself and then goes on to consistently put up better numbers than his time there.

The Devils will file for arbitration on Parise to protect against an offer sheet.

Good point, I had overlooked that.

What happens when the arbitrator awards him enough to cripple them for filling out their depth?

Based on the thought that there is a very real chance of this happening, do they file for arbitration or do they keep him RFA knowing that they’ll at least get compensation if he signs an offer sheet they won’t match?

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